Woman hospitalized after assault in downtown Houston parking garage

Houston police said a 28-year-old woman was hospitalized after a man got into her car and assaulted her about 9:10 a.m. Thursday at 600 Travis Street in downtown Houston. The woman lost consciousness at one point, then fought back, escaped the suspect and alerted security before the man allegedly tried to drive off in her car and abandoned it on the garage’s second floor.

Investigators said a man was detained nearby at Main and McGowan Streets for questioning, and police later said a suspect was in custody. The woman’s injuries were non-life-threatening. Detectives are still sorting out how the attack unfolded inside the garage and how the suspect got access to the vehicle in the first place.

The case unfolded in the middle of Houston’s downtown office and parking corridor, where workers, visitors and people running errands move through enclosed garages every day. A person of interest in the case has a history of previous detainments, a detail that may become important as investigators and prosecutors review the circumstances around the arrest and the suspect’s background.

The assault also adds to a recent run of garage violence that has unsettled Houston drivers and pedestrians. In June, a Houston Methodist employee was stabbed multiple times inside a Texas Medical Center parking garage and escaped after fighting off her attacker. In May, a man was found stabbed to death inside a vehicle in a downtown Houston parking garage.

Houston police say their mission is to reduce fear and provide a safe environment, and the department maintains a public active-incidents system that updates every five minutes. For anyone using downtown garages, the attack on Travis Street is a reminder that a routine parking stop can turn into an emergency in seconds.